Pride

The Old Testament. While pride is sometimes used in the Old Testament in a positive sense (i.e., the "pride" of the land of Israel [ Psalm 47:4 ; Ezek 24:21 ] or, God's "pride/majesty/excellency" [ Exod 15:7 ; Job 37:4 ; Isa 2:10 ]), its negative sense predominates, occurring in sixty-one texts. "Pride" is found mainly in the prophets and the books of poetry.

The main Hebrew root is gh [h'aG]; the most common term is gaon [/a"G], which occurs a total of twenty-three times. Included are the ideas of arrogance, cynical insensitivity to the needs of others, and presumption. Pride is both a disposition/attitude and a type of conduct.

What constitutes a "proud" person? The negative sense points to a sinful individual who shifts ultimate confidence from God to self. In the Wisdom literature, "the proud" are distinct from "the righteous" and "the humble." Here the term is applied to non-Israelites, rather than to Israel. The Septuagint uses hyperephanos [uJperhvfano"], meaning one who is insolent, presumptuous, or arrogant, a scoffer or a mocker ( Psalms 119:21Psalms 119:51 ; Prov 3:34 ). When the prophets accuse Israel of pride ( Jer 13:9 ; Ezekiel 7:10Ezekiel 7:20 ; 16:56 ; Hosea 5:5 ; 7:10 ; Amos 6:8 ; 8:7 ; Zeph 2:10 ), the word hybristes [uJbristhv"] connotes a wanton, insolent person. Thus, in the Old Testament books, the prideful are generally associated with the wicked, the arrogant, the presumptuous, and those who are insolent toward God.

mr 7:22 includes arrogance in a list of vices, the only such example in the Gospel texts. (Two other lists are found in Paul's letters [ 1:29-31 ; Gal 5:19-23 ]).

God opposes the proud ( Prov 3:34 ). Both James ( 4:6 ) and Peter ( 1 Peter 5:5 ) cite this Old Testament text, including the word hyperephanos [uJperhvfano"], the "proud/arrogant" person. It stands in contrast to the word "humble, " a quality that God honors. Paul's list ( Rom 1:30 ) includes hybristes [uJbristhv"], one who behaves arrogantly toward those who are too weak to retaliate.

Finally, a remarkable example of hyperephanos [uJperhvfano"] occurs in the Magnificat ( Luke 1:51 ). Using language largely from the Old Testament, Mary tells how God will scatter the proudpossibly a reference to a specific group in society and political life. They are characterized by suppressing the masses, the poor and humble in Israel. God will overthrow them and exalt the lowly. While his wrath is upon the proud, he will visit the humble in grace.

[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible[T] indicates this entry was also found in Torrey's Topical Textbook[J] indicates this entry was also found in Jack Van Impe's Prophecy DictionaryBibliography Information